The story of one Jane Watiri will give you hope in case things have been going against your wish.
Jane was a nice school going and hardworking lass but when adolescence hit her, things changed.
Towards the end of her education at Naivasha Primary School, her life took a wrong turn. She got into bad company and refused to join secondary school.
I HAD SOME FRIENDS WHO WOULD TAKE ME OUT TO CLUBS AND REGGAE NIGHTS WHEN I WAS 14
The teenager then sunk into a life of clubbing and alcoholism as her mother watched helplessly. When she was 16, Watiri was arrested, charged with loitering and jailed at Lang’ata Women’s Prison for a month.
Just after her release, she met a young man, fell in love, got pregnant and got married. He then left her for a married man later on, with the child, no job just a young girl yet to start life.
At this point, Jane is full of hatred and depressed at what life has to offer. She had no love for men anymore and she needed money. She sought to start working as a sex worker because it was easy money and she would be revenging her hatred towards men.
She started the job at the famous Koinange street and earned close to Sh20,000 a night. In her own words, she was a “destroyer,” driven by vengeance against men.
I WANTED TO HURT MEN THE WAY THE FATHER OF MY CHILD DID TO ME. BITTERNESS AND UNFORGIVENESS CAN REALLY DESTROY YOUR LIFE.
Jane added:
“I WAS NOT THE AVERAGE PROSTITUTE,” SHE SAYS, ADDING, “I WAS QUITE DANGEROUS. I USED TO STEAL FROM MY CLIENTS. I WOULD CARRY EVERYTHING; CLOTHES, SHOES, PHONES, KEYS AND EVEN WEDDING RINGS WHICH I SOLD FOR SH3,000 IN EASTLEIGH. I USED TO REALLY MESS UP THOSE MEN,”
She made sure she would change her look weekly so as to disguise herself from the men she stole from.
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While the majority of clients would pay for sex, others just wanted to be in the company of a woman and have someone to pour out their hearts to.
Jane recalls having buried many of her friends because many clients demanded unusual activities and would threaten with guns and other weapons if the sex-workers did not comply.
Many of her colleagues died on the job. Some would be killed in hotel rooms and others would get into clients’ vehicles and vanish or be found dead in a ditch.
Her turning point was in 2004 when a man told her of God’s love, but she was too drunk to understand. She then left the street and decided to walk into a church.
“IN MY WHOLE LIFE, I NEVER EXPERIENCED LOVE AND CARE. THE IDEA OF LOVE WAS VERY STRANGE. HE BOUGHT ME MANY BOTTLES OF BEER AND LEFT. AFTERWARDS, I STARTED THINKING OF CHANGING,”
Jane decided to give love another try. She met her second husband, George Mwangi, with whom she had a daughter. She was married to Mwangi who was a gangster for five years until he was killed by police.
I know you would ask why a gangster? Well, she explains that he loved and accepted her as she was, and she hoped that she would change him.
Today, the reformed sex worker is a preacher attached to Streams of Living Water Grace Centre Church in Pipeline Estate.
Together with her pastor, Ms. Edith Wangui, she offers counsel to sex workers, encouraging them to change.
Despite her good deeds, she does not have the support of her family.
“MY FAMILY HAS AN ISSUE WITH ME SPEAKING TO THE MEDIA BECAUSE IT CAUSES THEM EMBARRASSMENT. BUT I TELL MY STORY BECAUSE I KNOW THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO NEED TO HEAR MY STORY AND KNOW THAT IT IS POSSIBLE TO CHANGE.”
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